Guilty suspects were seen being taken off in open trucks for execution

Local reports said the group were found guilty at a sports arena on June 24 of producing and selling hard drugs in a crime-riddled part of the port city.

Photos show how those that were put to immediate death were loaded on to trucks and driven out of the packed stadium.

They were among a total of 18 people who appeared to face drugs charges, with five handed suspended sentences and a further five having their executions postponed.

Beijing News said the area of Lufeng, home to 1.7 million people, is a criminal hotspot which authorities have been on a ruthless mission to clean up.

In 2015 a crowd of 38 dealers appeared for a trial in front of 10,000 spectators — with 13 people handed death sentences and three executed immediately, Beijing News reported.

Human rights groups have criticised the mass executions for failing to prevent illicit chemical production in the Guangdong region — China's drugs factory and the largest producer of methamphetamine in the country.

The grim spectacle was watched by 10,000 people, according to local reports

William Nee at Amnesty International told MailOnline: "The mass sentencing rally that took place — including the execution of eight people involved in drug-related crimes — is absolutely tragic and barbaric.

"Despite China continuously executing hundreds if not thousands of people per year for drug-related offences, China is actually experiencing a growth in drug manufacturing and trafficking — which obviously shows the limitations of the "kill the monkey to scare the chickens approach"

"China should immediately end the use of the death penalty for offences that do not meet the threshold of 'intentional killing' in international law, and devise other ways to tackle the drug problem that don't perpetuate a cycle of violence."